


Across the Horizon at Dusk

by rubylily



Category: Yoru no Nai Kuni | Nights of Azure
Genre: Canon Lesbian Relationship, Domestic, F/F, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:21:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22871659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubylily/pseuds/rubylily
Summary: Arnice and Lilysse enjoy a new quiet life together.
Relationships: Arnice/Lilysse
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	Across the Horizon at Dusk

In a faraway village, whose name was known only by a few, lived two women. Or rather, a woman and her demon, but the fact that Arnice was the new Nightlord was a secret she kept closely guarded. She could still pass as human, but she didn't age and someday she knew her demonic powers would more physically manifest, but all that could wait. Someday she would reveal herself as the Nightlord to other demons and keep the Curia in check, but right now she belonged only to Lilysse.

As Arnice pulled a certain book from the shelves, she glanced around at the home she and Lilysse now shared. It was nothing like the grand Hotel Ende - if anything, this entire house was about the size of the hotel room Simon had given them - but Arnice didn't mind. She quite liked this quiet little home, and maybe once the sun began to set she would work outside in the gardens for a while. She'd often felt restless in the early days, and Lilysse had suggested a hobby like gardening, and Arnice found that she kind of liked it. 

She stared at the book in her hands; Lilysse's recipe book, a memento from Lilysse's parents, and she thumbed through the pages. Since absorbing that blue blood, Arnice missed eating like a human more than she expected, so she figured she could at least learn to cook for Lilysse's sake. Like gardening, cooking was something simple she'd begun to enjoy too. (And she felt a pang in her chest upon realizing she missed even Lilysse's terrible cooking.) She chuckled to herself; here she was, the new Nightlord, and she was enjoying mundane things like cooking and gardening.

"Okay, this looks simple," she said to herself as she found a recipe for beef stew. Lilysse was out shopping now, so Arnice hoped to surprise her with a warm meal when she returned. Arnice didn't much like to head outside during the day anymore, so often guilt filled her as Lilysse did all the shopping, even though Lilysse had said repeatedly she enjoyed shopping.

As Arnice gathered and prepared the necessary ingredients according to the directions, her mind began to wander. It hadn't been long since she and Lilysse had settled in this coastal village outside the influence of the Curia, and no one seemed familiar with fiends or demons. It was a quiet little place, so Arnice and Lilysse could stay here a few years, at least until it became too difficult to hide that Arnice didn't age.

Once the water over the fire was boiling, Arnice put the sliced bits of beef and carrots in the pot and began stirring, and a nostalgic scent filled her nose. She didn't remember much of her life when she'd still been human, or even the centuries spent mindlessly fighting fiends, so she couldn't be certain if her own parents had ever prepared a meal like this for her. Since that day she had been touched by the blue blood and turned into a half-demon, she hadn't felt truly alive until the Curia had forced her to attend school and she had befriended Lilysse, and being with Lilysse had made her feel human again.

Her hand tightened around the wooden spoon, trembling for just a moment. Her, the dreaded Nightlord, cooking a simple meal for a mere human woman - it was almost too comical an image to believe. But it was the truth. No matter the color of her blood, the woman she loved most was Lilysse.

She mixed a few spices and herbs into the broth, and that feeling of nostalgia grew stronger. The scent of herbs reminded her of someone precious she'd known when she had been human, another girl she had often gathered herbs with, one of few memories she still held from her girlhood. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember that girl's face or even her name. Arnice bit her lip; would she someday forget Lilysse too?

So lost in thought was Arnice that she nearly didn't notice that the pot was about to boil over, and she scrambled to put out the fire. Once the broth was safe, she let out a sigh of relief, and then took a careful sip from the spoon. Even if she no longer needed to eat since becoming fully demon, she still had some sense of taste. "Hm, I guess it's fine," she muttered to herself. "Not that I'm the best judge, though…"

The door opened behind her, and as Arnice turned her head, Lilysse, her arms full of new fabrics, approached. "Oh, that smells delicious!" she exclaimed.

"Welcome home." A smile tugged at Arnice's lips, and her heart felt more at ease upon seeing Lilysse's familiar bright smile. "You're just in time. The stew is almost finished."

Lilysse set down the fabrics she carried; since arriving in this village, she had taken to dress-making, often using Arnice as a model. "Should I prepare some tea too?" she asked.

"Yeah, that would be great," Arnice replied. Lilysse had at least learned that much from Simon before she and Arnice had left Hotel Ende and Ruswal Island for good.

Once the tea was prepared, the stew was also finished, so Arnice gathered it into a bowl for Lilysse and they both sat at the small table with matching teacups. Lilysse took a small bite of the stew, and smiled. "It tastes wonderful, Arnice," she said.

Arnice's cheeks grew warm. "It's the least I can do for you," she replied, bringing her teacup to her lips. "The tea is good too."

Lilysse rested her chin on the back of her hand, and her smile softened. "You know, I always dreamed about the two of us living together like this, like a real couple," she said quietly. "But I was chosen as the new Saint, fated to seal away the Night, so I didn't dare hope for something so selfish. I never thought that dream would come true…"

Arnice traced the rim of her teacup with her finger, trying to appear calm. "So you don't feel lonely?"

Lilysse shook her head. "Well, I guess I do miss the Servans, and I wonder how Simon and the other two are doing, but I'm happy here, I truly am."

During their travels, Arnice had chosen to free her Servans, as it would've been too dangerous to bring them into a place that knew little of demons and fiends, but she missed them too. "You could write Simon and those guys letters," she said to Lilysse. "And your parents too."

"But they won't be able to reply." Lilysse's expression grew solemn. "If we tell them where we are, the Curia might find us."

"We won't hide forever," Arnice said firmly. "And when that days comes, we'll be ready." As they had traveled, Arnice heard that the Curia was still in disarray over the loss of their Pope, but she knew it was only a matter of time before the Curia found new leadership again and rebuilt itself, and Arnice had sworn never to allow them to use her or Lilysse as pawns ever again.

A quiet smile came upon Lilysse's lips. "During that year we were apart and I couldn't remember you, I felt like it was a miracle I was alive, even though I didn't understand why, and I wanted to find the one who saved my life. I couldn't remember her at all, but I knew she had accepted a great burden for my sake, and I hated not being able to remember. When we met again, it was like waking from a dream, and… I was just so happy to be alive, even though I was supposed to be the Saint marked for sacrifice…"

"Lily, I…" Arnice chewed her lip. "I just had to make sure the power of the Nightlord wouldn't consume me…"

Lilysse let out a giggle. "You should've had more faith in yourself, and in me." Her smile grew bolder as she clapped her hands together. "And besides, it's rather nice to have the Nightlord herself cooking and modelling new dresses for me."

Arnice nearly choked on her tea, and her cheeks burned.

Once they were finished, they collected the dishes, and as Arnice washed them, Lilysse embraced her from behind, arms locked tightly around her waist. "Arnice," Lilysse whispered, her breath warm against the back of Arnice's neck. "You're not lonely either, are you?"

"Of course not," Arnice said, turning to face Lilysse, and she look Lilysse's hand into hers, their fingers lacing together. "As long as I'm with you, my beloved, I'll always be happy."

Again Lilysse smiled, and Arnice drew her closer for a kiss.


End file.
